Archives for :
July2016

We dig back into the archives again as things prevented us from getting together again.

This is the episode after the announcements from Sony and Microsoft for the PS4 and Xbox One respectively. I like this one a lot as we don’t talk about video games near as much as I thought we would when we started this project. It is interesting to hear what we thought before the new consoles even existed and what came true!

Dave and I are back this week talking our “Support your local broke podcasters” tour with stops at Packrat Comics “Not at Comic Con” and the Ohio Toy and comic show, SDCC news and a spoiler free review of “Star Trek Beyond”. A fun show as always!

So I wanted to make sure I delivered on getting episodes out to you all each Sunday but with a tremendous amount of family commitments this week, I am not able to record a new episode. However, I am reaching back into the archives to pull out one of my favorite early episodes.

We get joined by Punching the Clock writer, Rob Humphrey, and the creator of the 11/88 studios comic The Adventures of Johnny Wraith, Collin Avery to talk about The New 52 from DC Comics. As we are all very long winded this episode is very long, but it is worth the time due to the incredible tangents we all get on (Moon Knight is a recurring theme throughout…)

In the early summer of 2014 during the wake of my favorite comic convention (C4) I couldn’t wait to jump into Kirby Triple Deluxe. This was also during a huge transition in my life and having a bright pink colored and cute platformer to distract me was fantastic. So, when I saw that Kirby: Planet Robobot was coming out I was really surprised, and assumed that this would be HAL Laboratory’s weird Kirby game for this generation. If you’ve followed HAL and the Kirby game throughout the years there always seems to be a traditional Kirby game followed by a unique experimental type Kirby game. These two types of game usual alternate throughout a console generation. This practice has lead to great uncommon Kirby games like Mass Attack and Epic Yarn, to just name a couple.

With little information other than seeing Kirby in a pink mech I was very excited and interested in seeing if Robobot was a followup to Triple Deluxe or something new and different entirely. After firing the game up the shimmering view of Planet Popstar comes into focus, the friendly and colorful cast appear, and the comforting sounds bring life to this new yet recognizable adventure. The intro played and I was able to jump into level 1-1 and quickly realized the similarity between Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot. The controls are just as good, the platforming looks and feel familiar, while Sun Stones are swapped for Code Cubes and key chains are replaced with stickers; Planet Robobot is built on the bones of Triple Star. Some people might think that’s a negative, I actually really enjoy it. While playing with the 3rd dimension was the focus in Triple Star, it is nice to see that 3D is still an important part of the platforming in Robobot but it’s not the main gimmick.

Using the different cloned abilities inside the Mech plus the added puzzle elements that accompany the Mech’s abilities are a clever addition to the game. Once I was into the second world I really started to notice the level design has some very unique and wonderful additions that weren’t in the previous game. The game play opens up wider in Robobot than its predecessor did by creating levels around specific abilities with Mech like shmup and racing levels. I didn’t want the shmup levels to end and they reminded me of what makes Kirby games so versatile while also calling back to the Kirby’s original Game Boy release of Adventures in Dreamland.

But, the real meat of the experience for anyone who’s played Kirby games or is an advanced gamer comes from the boss battles and the desire to complete everything in the game. Collecting all the Code Cubes, beating every level, and collecting a full sticker gallery is enough to keep any gamer busy. But, in the typical HAL fashion, Robobot is full of additional game modes. Outside of the hidden game mode thats unlocked on the completion of the game (Editors note: as of this review I haven’t finished the game yet) there are two other mini games. Team Kirby Clash is a boss battle mode with RPG elements. You enter the ring with one to four Kirby’s with different character class ranging from a sword fighter to heal and lay waste to classic foes. This was really great mini game especial if you want to jump into the game but don’t have the time to play a entire level. Kirby 3D Rumble is a action puzzle-ish mode the lets Kirby loose in a 3D environment. This too was a great little side game to play in short bursts, it also felt like HALs exploration of Kirby in a full 3D environment–maybe we’ll see this game play explored further in the future.

Recommendation: High

Kirby games are all about fun and Planet Robobot is just that, fun. From the vibrant world, exciting boss fights, and clever puzzles Planet Robobot exudes charm at all times. Building on what its predecessor, Triple Deluxe, created Robobot already has a lot going for it. And with the addition of the Mechs, new powers, and solid platforming Robobot feels less like a follow up and more like a completely new beast.

We’re in the dawn of the 3DSes life now and it must be a testament to the system that games of this calibre keep coming out. Pretty soon we’ll be moving on to something new like the NX and Kirby Planet Robobot will just be a hidden gem. Don’t let this game get lost in the shuffle.

Today’s Shawn Howe’s Birthday. Last Year, Kendra and the Hunnic crew. Interviewed him, again audio was still in the (middle ages). But I think it went well. It’s been an year since I listened. We discuss our thoughts on Suicide Squad and Shawn’s work.

The Thought/s and Opinion/s are that of the individual host/s. They do not reflect Hunnicoutcast/Skirt Productions.

Dave and I are back talking the ins and outs of the WWE Draft, and we review “The Resurrection of Jake “The Snake”. We also talk about this weeks news, the idiocy of Kanye West, plus Kickstarters of the week and more! A fun show as always!

The Man Who Watched Batman is a step by step, episode by episode guide to Batman: the Animated series. If you’ve ever been interested in checking out the book series, Below you can click a link and read any chapter of Vol. 1 at your leisure.